Collapsible chair



Jan. 20, W1. BAUER I 1,789,295

COLLAPSI'BLE CHAIR Filed Jan. 9, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 1mgzzmumuer ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1931. w. J BAUER COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR FiledJan. 9, 1929 w 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY r. 6 W, B. J m/ m m WJan. 20, 1931.

w. J. BAUER COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Filed- Jan. 9, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR M'llzamzffiaaer ATToR NEY Jan. 20, 1931. w. J. BAUER 1,789,295

' COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 9, 1929- INVENTOR MMJan. 20, 1931 .1. AUEn Or-imtv' VYORK, N 1. i I

ootms rnm min I ."afijmauim an i ag 1929'. seems. 331,325.

The, invention relates to chairs, more par ticularlyto the automaticfolding or collapsi-' lilel type suitable for compact storage whendesired." It has "for its .object to simplify the} construction ofchairsof this characterand tofprovid'e a cha'iif' which may conveniently.

be "collapsedmerely'iby raising the -same 'off I its support and, also,which may be extended for use byresting the rear pair of legs on asupport and tiltingthe chair slightly'fforward when the weight of thefront pair-of I legs and seat of the chair will unbalance thechairmemb'ers and open the chair for 'use; Aifurtherobject ofthe'inven'tion resides in means to assist'in the retention of the jseatmember. within the pair of front legs when:

the chair is in the collapsed condition. H In carrying out theinvention, as embodled in the novel collapsible chair shown and .20hereinafter more fully described, a pair of front legs is provided.within which thepair of rear. legs is adapted tofitwhen the chair is in,thecollapsed condition. The upper ends of said pair of rear legs,moreover, are slid as able and swingable in the "corresponding pair offrontlegs, or rather'in extensions thereof, while a seat member for the"chair is hingedly s'ecured'orpivoted at its rearward portion to the saidpair of, rear legs, means being I 0 provided also' for pivotallysecuring the'seat intermediate'iits rearward and forward poi tions tothe frontpair oflegs. The arrangement is such, furthermore, that whenthe chair as a whole is lifted from itssupportthe combined weight of thereafpair of legs tion" with the {accompanying drawingsfin "lii 3is afront the olded or collapsed" condition. Fig. 41s a"vertical sectionjthrough the" chair 1 and illustrates the collapsing action. Fig. 5"is'a fragmentary' vertical section ytakenon the line 5f5, Fig. 1 of thedrawings andloo'king in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 6 is aperspective viewof the chair, in open 'condition"re'ady for use,- andillus-' trates a modification therein. l a

Figs. "7 'and 8-are respectively a vertical section andafr'ont elevationof's'aid modified form of chairand in the folded; or collapsedcondition.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view -ofthe 'chair,

in open 'con'dition" ready for use, and illustratesa'further'modification'therein: 1

1 Figs; 1Oand 11 are respectively a vertical section andfrontelevationof the latter form of'chair 'and'in' the-collapsed orfolded con =Refer'ring to the drawings, the novel chair c nnpr ises,-for example, a rigid", one-piece outer frame composedof'the-finverted-U- shape piece 10 whichconstitutes the pairof frontlegs whose extensions form the supporting frame for the partial hackmember-11 of the chair. "A pair-of rear-legs 1-2 is designed to fitwithin the frame 10 when the chair is in collapsed or folded condition;and these elevation of the chair'in leg members are designed, also, tobe attached.

at their upperends to the extensions or upper portions of said frontpairof legs. A rungmember 14 maybe securedacross the lower extremities ofthe pair of front legs and similarly a rung member l5 acrossthe lowerextremities of the pair ofrear'legs 12 to insurerigidity ofthe chair; Il

"Inaccordance with the invention, the pair of rear legs is securedto-thepair of' fr'ont legs in manner such as'to permit not only of 5 thesame pivoting orswinging freely therein but also to-allow of movementlongitudinally thereof, This may-conveniently be effectedby'meansoftrunnions 16 or the like extend"- ing laterally from the upperextremities of" said rear pair of legs into corresponding longitudinalslots 17 formed in-the extensions of said air of front legs which arecomposed, prefera 1y, of' tubing, thefsaid slots being located above theseat member of the chair. The particular means shown of connectin theupper extremities of the rear legs with t e corresponding pair of frontlegs is not material so long as said rear legs may pivot therein as wellas have a motion longitudinally thereof. y a 1 'i The said seat member20, moreover, is carried by the rear pair of legs, for example, by

pivoting its rearward portion thereto as by;-

means of a rod 21 passing through the sides of a down-turned flange 22of the seat mem her and having its opposite ends welded or 1 otherwisesecured in the respective rear leg members. The said seat member maythusrock freely onsaidrod; and ;it is also supported intermediateitsrearward. and. forward portions as by laterally-extending brackets 25attached to the under-face thereof and having laterally extending and.vertically off-set trunnions 26 fitting in the corresponding front pairof legs to allow the seat a to. fulcrum about the same as an axis. .1

The seat member may thus swing about its intermediate portion as afulcrum as well as aboutits rearward portlon which is p voted to therear pair of legs, whilethelaitter as a whole may through their upperends ,move longitudinally as well-as pivot in the said pair offrontlegs. Moreover, the arrangement is such that the combinedweight of thesaid rearward portion of-the seat member and the rear pair of legswillover-balance the weightof-the .forward portion of the said seat member.Thus, when the chair is lifted ff'om its support, said rearward portionwill immediatel drop aswill also the upper extremities 0 the rear 1pair,oflegs with respect to the'slots 17 (see ig. 4 of the drawings), whilethe forward ortion of the seat member will-swin upwar l ,or ratherbackwardly, tobring oth .seat member and the pairof rear, legs withinthe surrounding pair of front legs and provide the chair incompactcollapsed. condition. The backward movement of said seat member will belimited by thecollapsed chair conditions to assist in retainin it inosition within thesaid pair of front egs. be coiled about the rod 21with one free end pressing against a stop 29 of said rod, or be orexample, a spring28 may directly secured to the said "rod,while itsother free end presses against the under-face of the'seat member. 7

To extend the chair for use, it is necessary merely to rest the pair ofrear legs on a support as a floor or the like upon which it is to remainand then tilt the said chair as a whole slightly forwardly to cause thefront pair of, legs with attached seat member to move for wardly rockingabout' the trunnions 16. Atthe same time this will bring 'sai'd pair ofrear legs'upwardly with respect to their slots :until. the movement oftheir upper extremities ortrunnions '16 is arrested by contactwith'theupperend of the corresponding slots.

While the inverted'U-shape piece formingthejfront pair of -legs of thechair affords a' convenient construction, where a solid or completetypeof back is desired the pairof front legs will be modified'to theextent or consisting merely of; parallel members 30 Figs. 6'8 ofthedrawings. The backmem- .ber 31 of said chair' islthen to be securedthereto by means of t unniens 32 extending laterally from said backmember into corresponding slots 33 of the upper'extensionsof the pair offrontleg members, said slots be-j ing above and to the rear of slots34,which are parallel to the former-'slotsand' serve to pivotally andslidably secure the upper extremities of the pair of rear legs 35 of thechair,as in the previously described embodiment. f

The seat member 36 is secured similarly to the mounting hereinbeforedescribed; but at its rearward portion there is hingedly attachedthereto also-thelower portion of the back member 31,'a's by means of apair of angle pieces 37 pivoted to the respective'sides of said back bythe pins or rivets 38, theangle pieces being'falso pivoted by pins orrivets 39 tothe correspondingrearlegs. a V

.Where it is desired toprov'idethe chair also with arm frests, this mayconveniently be effected, reference being had toFigs; 9 -11 of thedrawings which show a chair similar to that shown in Figs. 6-8.Armsupports40 in the nature of a U-shapedmember are,in

extremities to the seat member as by means of straps. il fitting overthe cross-bar of said member and secured to the under-face. of the seatmember, While the arm supports at their upper ends are ofl-setrorturnedoutwardly and secured pivotally to the under-surface of correspondingarm rests 42 as by means of straps l3 attached thereto. Thehsaid armrests are v also hingedly secured-at their inner ends to the .backmember,.as shown. This will allow. of the chair members'collapsing ashereinbefore described, with the additional parts also foldingup in thecommon plane, 1

as shown. 1

I claim:

i. A collapsible chair; comprising alpair offront legs, a pair of rearlegs pivotally and slidably engaging the same, a seat member pivotallyattached to both pairs of legs, and

this instance, pivotally secured .at the lower i a back member pivotallyand slidably engaging the pair of front legs-and pivotally connected tothe pair of rear legs and to the seat member.

2. A collapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs provided withrespective longitudinal slots along the inner walls and with additionalslots parallel to the firstnamed slots therein, apair of rear legshaving means extending therefrom into the said first-named slots topivotally and slidably secure said rear pair of legs to the said frontpair of legs, a seat member pivotall attached to both pairs of legs, anda bac member pivotally and slidably mounted in said lastnamed pair ofslots and hingedly connected Iwith the rearward portion of the seat mem-3. A collapsible chair, comprising a. pair of front legs provided withrespective longitudinal slots along the inner walls, and with additionalslots parallel to the first named slots therein and above and behind thesame, a pair of rear legs having means extending therefrom into the saidfirst-named slots to pivotally and slidably secure said rear pair oflegs to the said front pair of legs, a seat member pivotally attached toboth pairs of legs, and a back member pivota-lly and slidably mounted insaid last-named pair v of slots and hingedly connected with the rearwardortion of the seat member.

4. A co lapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs provided withrespective longitudinal slots along the inner walls,'and with additionalslots parallel to the first-named slots therein, a pair of rear legshaving means extendin therefrom into the said firstnamed s ots topivotally and slidably secure said rear pair of legs to the said frontpair of legs, a seat member ivotally attached to both pairs of legs, aack member pivotally and slidably mounted in said lastnamed pair ofslots and hingedly connected with the rearward portion of the seatmember, arm supports pivoted to the seat member beyond its intermediatesupport and extending upwardly upon either side of said seat member, andarm rests pivotally secured to the upper ends thereof and to the backmember.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM J. BAUER.

